Inquirer reporter recalls the chaos of 9/11

Before coming to teach at the College, assistant professor of journalism and Signal adviser Emilie Lounsberry worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer for more than 25 years. On Sept. 11, 2001, she was driving to Camden to cover a jury selection when she heard news of the attacks. She immediately reversed her course and headed for New York City.

There, she interviewed “between 50 and 100 people,” staying in the city for several nights in a hotel so close to Ground Zero that it had no power. She spoke to EMTs, rescue workers and the friends and families of victims over the course of three days, reporting their stories back to the Inquirer.

Below are audio excerpts of Lounsberry’s own 9/11 story as told to Signal news editor Emily Brill.